The tension between modernity and tradition is the most striking feature of Hans Broos's work, as evidenced by his designs for Cia Hering, where eclectic buildings are juxtaposed with exposed concrete structures in a symbiosis of historical eras.

Herein lies the radical contemporaneity of his work: Broos understands the contemporary as the coexistence of distinct eras meeting at the same moment, shaping the wonderful entanglement of which time is made, as Lina Bo used to say.

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In this article shared by the Bamboo Experimentation Laboratory at UNESP - Bauru the researchers involved report on the construction of the Workshop Shed at the Horto de Aimorés Rural Settlement. The project utilized raw bamboo combined with round aroeira columns and metal connections. Read the summary submitted by the authors and the results of this process below.

The “Glória-Lavapés Historical Path” is composed of Glória and Lavapés streets, which connect the neighborhoods of Liberdade, Glicério, and Cambuci in the central region of São Paulo. Although designated as a heritage site in March 2018 and ratified in July 2019 by the Municipal Council for the Preservation of Historical, Cultural, and Environmental Heritage of the City of São Paulo (CONPRESP), this area still faces issues that reinforce the historical erasure of critical memories along this stretch—such as Black occupation, the morphological layout of the colonial city, and the visual and topographical memory of the rugged terrain.

In the experiment by the collective Mouraria 53, the spatial operation—unlike a typical architectural project—begins before construction is finished and is integral to its ongoing development. Exhibitions, presentations, concerts, workshops, and classes serve as a daily exchange in building the house. The process itself is of paramount value to this initiative, bringing together projects, materials, dialogues, execution, and collective dreams.

Much has been said since the then-new minister of economy, Paulo Guedes, stated that it was necessary to “take a knife” to the S System. However, these discussions have focused almost exclusively on the financial aspects of the system. To truly understand the relevance of the S System to Brazilian society—whose flagship organizations include SENAC (National Service for Commercial Apprenticeship), SESC (Social Service of Commerce), SENAI (National Service for Industrial Apprenticeship), SESI (Social Service of Industry), and SEBRAE (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service)—it is far more instructive to examine the original motivations behind this vocational education system, the pedagogical and political project that drove its creation, the role of architecture in its facilities to achieve its goals, and its ongoing relevance in the fields of education and culture.

With hundreds of projects published every month, it is easy to imagine that some of this archive remains buried deep in our database, out of our readers' sight. Knowing this, we regularly publish articles that serve as lists, compilations, or curated selections from the vast collection of works on our platform, focusing on specific design features. Within this context, one of our most popular series is Brazilian Houses, which brings together residential projects built in Brazil, grouped by various architectural aspects.

This biweekly episode discusses the SESCTV series "A cidade no Brasil" [The City in Brazil], inspired by the publication of the same name by anthropologist, historian, poet, and essayist Antônio Risério. The series is directed by sociologist and filmmaker Isa Grinspum Ferraz, who joins us as one of our guests. Her previous work includes the documentary series "O povo brasileiro" [The Brazilian People], based on the work of Darcy Ribeiro, and the 2012 documentary "Marighella." Rounding out our guest panel, architect and urbanist Álvaro Gianninni shares his perspective as an enthusiastic viewer of the channel's programming.

Bioconstruction refers to a building process utilizing materials and techniques with low environmental impact, alongside adapting architecture to local conditions and managing waste during the building's lifecycle. Consequently, building according to these principles does not necessarily mean using so-called sustainable materials—which often must be transported over long distances or undergo prefabrication before use—but rather utilizing local materials, techniques, and labor, drawing on vernacular strategies that address these very factors.

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The research project Aurelio Martinez Flores: The Work of the Mexican Architect in Brazil (1960-2015) investigates the life and architectural career of Mexican architect Aurelio Martinez Flores (1929–2015) from 1960 to 2015, aligning with Latin American architectural history and the growing interest in recovering architects whose careers ran parallel to the mainstream movements in Brazil over the last several decades. Although little known, his work exerts a significant influence on one of the most successful currents of contemporary Brazilian architecture.

This year, the Pritzker Prize announced Japanese architect Arata Isozaki as its 2019 laureate. Since the 1960s, the architect has been considered a visionary by his peers, with work that bridges Western and Eastern cultures, reinterpreting global influences in his architecture. In this episode #71, our conversation spans both the multicultural ground Isozaki trod across more than 100 built works and the uniqueness of the concept of “Ma,” an interpretation of interstitial spaces in architectural work.

Over the course of a building's history, it may take on functions other than those for which it was originally designed. This is the case, for example, with houses that have become museums—either because they became architectural icons or because they eventually lost their original purpose and underwent renovation to host an exhibition space.

Architectural modernism emerged in the wake of the early 20th-century European avant-gardes. The movement was fueled by industrial capitalism and the thrilling technological progress unfolding before everyone's eyes. The break with the past had been deliberately ushered in by intellectual, artistic, and technical movements since the mid-19th century. The Crystal Palace, for instance, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, was built in London to host the Great Exhibition of 1851 and represented a structural revolution in the use of lightweight materials such as iron and glass.

Tekôa is a space within Ekôa Park that explores solutions by bridging theory and practice. It is a hub for integrative permaculture practices based on two principles: developing a practical ecology and experimenting with low-environmental-impact solutions that yield positive social impacts, thereby inventing new ways of living, building shelter, and producing food. Sem Muros believes that to achieve an ecologically sound and socially just life, people must develop autonomy. To this end, the techniques used are simple, easily replicable, and tailored to the environmental context of the project's territory.

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Since 1980, with the first exhibition dedicated exclusively to architecture, titled The Presence of the Past and directed by Paolo Portoghesi, the Venice Biennale has positioned itself as a turning point in the history of contemporary architecture. Since then, 16 editions have occupied the spaces of the Giardini and the Arsenale, addressing themes ranging from the fundamental elements of architecture to the future of the discipline.

Anyone who has ever taken an interest in mobility knows that the advent of the car brought about several major changes to the built environment of cities and to people's lives. These transformations have been, and continue to be, widely discussed across various fields of study. In history, for instance, the car serves as a lens for the period of industrialization; in engineering, it is key to engine technology; and in urban planning, it is studied for its role in the process of urbanization. From its invention to the present day, the car has continuously gained ground and become increasingly ubiquitous in streets and buildings, embedding itself into daily life and the popular imagination.

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One of the constant considerations in residential design is how to divide spaces or define zones based on daily uses and dynamics without compromising the spatial quality of the building. While this exercise is inherent to architectural practice as a whole, when it comes to residential projects—particularly houses—the pursuit of comfort elements like natural light, ventilation, noise control, and privacy gains layers of complexity tied to the wide range of situations a home must accommodate.

The 12th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale took over two of the most iconic public buildings in the capital of São Paulo. A major exhibition featuring works from various parts of the world remains open until December 8 at the Centro Cultural São Paulo (CCSP), while Sesc 24 de Maio has been occupied by a dozen installations and devices designed specifically for the building and its surroundings.

Here, we present the 10 devices that transformed the space of Sesc 24 de Maio, creating tension and establishing narratives in one of the most intensely used public spaces in downtown São Paulo. The works are divided into the three axes guiding the Biennale: Everyday Tales, Everyday Materials, and Everyday Maintenance.

Architects and urban planners evaluated the services offered by CAU/BR and the state-level CAU/UFs. Out of nine services analyzed by the professionals, seven received an average score above 7 on a scale of zero to 10. These and other findings are part of the CAU Evaluation Survey conducted by the Datafolha Institute in May. The study interviewed 1,500 architects and urban planners and 500 architecture and urban planning firms by telephone to assess the effectiveness of the Council's communication channels with professionals and society, as well as to gather information to support initiatives ensuring access to the entity's information.

Through their narrative forms, architecture exhibitions promote the dissemination of knowledge and inquiries within the theory and practice of the discipline. Beyond the direct appreciation of a specific object or architectural ensemble by experiencing that space, architecture exhibitions present content structured through narrative paths, classifications, associations, or juxtapositions. This expands architectural knowledge, if not through in-situ experience, then through the way graphic materials are displayed. In this light, curatorial and exhibition design practices can foster new questions in the field of architecture, encouraging visitors to engage in critical reflection.

Masonry is undoubtedly one of the most widespread construction techniques in Brazil. Brick, which can serve as both structural support and building enclosure, is an expressive and highly versatile material, easy to use due to its widespread production and the general availability of labor across the country.

Since their university days, architecture students are taught that ventilating indoor spaces is crucial for removing excess heat. However, the specific conditions under which this practice actually achieves adequate thermal performance are not always clearly defined, especially regarding residential roof ventilation.

Tasked with mapping contemporary Brazilian production, the ​Tomie Ohtake Institute AkzoNobel Architecture Prize ​began its activities in 2013 with loosely defined horizons. While there was the expectation of creating an unprecedented initiative on the national stage by honoring projects built over the last decade, there was also the clear challenge of establishing a prize without categories, dealing with a broad universe of programs and comparing initiatives of widely differing scales.

Improving public transit requires close attention not only to vehicles and routes, but to how people access and exit them. All too often, urban planning fails to account for the diverse needs of all individuals and how they navigate a transit system.

Reflecting on the everyday. This is the premise of the 12th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial, which opens this September in the capital. Under the theme “Everyday” (“Todo dia”), the biennial aims to address the “most trivial dimension of reality,” shedding light on the production of ordinary, common space—which is, for this very reason, fundamental to the quality of the environment we inhabit daily. Curators Vanessa Grossman and Ciro Miguel join us for a conversation about this key event, which plays a crucial role in bridging academic research, architectural practice, and society at large.